Marvel Machine Theory
Morrison's basic idea is that stories can get away from creators and take on a tone and life of their own. So in another sprawling, long-running fictional series like the Marvel universe, one would reasonably expect to see some sort of meta-narrative or recurring themes unfolding, maybe not to the extent that we've theorized with the DCU, but there should still be SOMETHING there. And there is. Marvel and DC Marvel was built in a way that in the beginning had the connections between superheroes be a lot more organic than what DC was pulling at the time. And the Marvel universe has continued to evolve in that way, but it just doesn't have those cosmic forces and symbols to back it up. It feels oddly artificial in a way. The DCU is the result of an organically evolving universe, almost coming together through accidents and coincidences. Elements such as the speed force and the emotional spectrum were eventually added in, and these things made it "alive" and organic in that sense. Like lightning striking the pool of organic chemicals. Meanwhile, in Marvel, it was tailor made to be able to evolve and expand. It lacked those cosmological elements, but it still expanded. It had architects, planning it out from the beginning. You can almost view at as the DCU being spontaneous generation, and Marvel being Intelligent Design. There is an interesting note that Jack Kirby was heavily involved with the evolution of both these universes. The Marvel and DC Universes have always shared talent, the rivalry making both stronger. And the way ideas reverberate between the two. Take Thanos for example. First, Jack Kirby, very much the marvel guy, goes to DC and takes what would have originally been a Marvel idea with him in the form of the New Gods and particularly Darkseid. Then Starlin comes along and takes inspiration from Metron and Darkseid to create Thanos. Later, Thanos becomes the inspiration for the DC villain Mongul. It's all ideas bouncing back and forth, changing and leaving something new behind in their place. All those reverberations of ideas that created the Marvel and DC universes all started with one idea. The idea of a man that would never let us down. It's like the two universes are always brushing past each other, sharing archetypes, creators, writers, artists. Every so often, they actually cross over, like a once in a blue moon type deal, and that's the company wide crossovers, like the JLA/Avengers. There hasn't been one of those in a long time, but the two universes are still constantly circling each other, their gravity influencing the other. They've even spawned other, smaller universes, like Image, or Dark Horse, or Top Cow. A lot of the imagery surrounding the DC multiverse is a bit feminine, with the menstruum, the cosmic womb, stuff like that. The DC universe itself was portrayed as a woman during the JLA/Avengers crossover, and it was totally getting it on with Marvel's Eternity, the embodiment of the MU. God/The One Above All is presented generally as either ambiguous male or Jack Kirby. Before Marvel was Marvel, it was Timely, and all that Timely stuff is still very much canon. Captain America, Namor, Human Torch were al.l straight up golden age. And for that matter, Jack Kirby was working on these titles. With Kirby as the One Above All, the start of the marvel universe, although usually attributed to FF #1, really goes as far back as those first Cap and Torch comics. The start of the DCU is with Action Comics #1, June 1938. The start of the MU is with Marvel Comics #1, October 1939. On Human Torch Human Torch was the first hero created by Marvel, and Superman was the first hero created by DC. Marvel Comics #1 introduced the Human Torch, the Angel, and Namor. When writers do "the history of the marvel universe" type stuff (marvels, the marvels project), it pretty much always starts with the introduction of the Human Torch, followed by Namor, followed by Torch and Namor fighting for the first time (potentially the first big Hero vs. Hero fighting on first meeting of cape comics; what started the legacy that continues to today), followed by the introduction of Cap. By way of Hypercrisis, Metron gives man knowledge in the form of the first fire. The Marvel Universe begins with the Human Torch igniting for the first time. Both start with fire. A fire that changes everything. DC vs. Marvel Superman vs. Human Torch Sun God vs. Promethean creation Organic vs. Artificial Sent from the heavens vs. created by man "Guide humanity into the sun" vs. creating an alternative to the sun (Torch) Ideal to strive towards vs. the height of man's creation Grew naturally (Character and universe) vs. constructed (Character and universe) It matches the difference between Marvel and DC, with Marvel supposedly being more constructed and artificial and DC being more organic and spontaneous. It's interesting as well that a lot of Marvel heroes are man made, like Iron Man or Captain America. Obviously there are natural gods like Thor and Hercules, but there are still a huge number of heroes that come from SCIENCE. DC and Marvel is almost like Magic vs Science. There are obviously tech heroes in DC and Magic heroes in Marvel, but still, the differences are still there. The difference between Marvel heroes and DC heroes, used to be that one, as Malvoleo would say, "have greatness thrust upon them," whereas the other, even if given powers by birth or accident, make a deliberate choice. The main difference to seems to be that with DC, the further out one goes in scope to the cosmic, the more personal and internalized the themes become. Just look at the most prominent sphere of cosmic stories DC has, with the Lantern corps, which are based fundamentally in emotion, willpower and sapience. The same goes with magic-based stories. Magic in the Marvel universe appears to just be about forces that exist beyond our normal sphere of physical existence, but can still be empirically determined and used if you know the rules. Magic in the DCU really HAS no rules, and is fundamentally different from science in that it relies on individual mindsets and beliefs. Of course, this is getting more into Gaiman's work than Morrisons, but both of them have very similar takes on the relationships between writers, readers, and the narrative itself.